Plagues in the Halifax parish

With the country struggling to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, this post has a topical flavour and looks at some of the plagues and diseases which have affected West Yorkshire over the centuries. Almost certainly Hiley families living here would have been affected.

The ‘Black Death’ or ‘Great Pestilence’ probably originated in Asia and had arrived in England by June 1348. It is estimated to have killed about a third of the world’s population and up to 50% in Yorkshire.

From 1360-62 a second outbreak occurred. This became known as the ‘Children’s Plague’ as children under 10 were the hardest hit.

Another epidemic of plague hit Yorkshire in 1374 and the effects of this, together with the Black Death, Children’s Plague and other local outbreaks of plague at the end of this century, meant that Yorkshire’s population took more then 200 years to recover to its pre-1348 level.

In 1551 the ‘Sweating Sickness’ swept over the Halifax parish. Between 2nd August and 24th August 42 out of 45 deaths recorded in the Halifax parish register were due to this disease.

In May 1631 there was an outbreak of plague in Halifax. It may have arrived in wool brought from an infected district. The disease first struck in Erringden and spread to Heptonstall where nearly 40 houses were affected and 107 people died between May and September, and also to Mixenden and Ovenden where 55 people died.

Outbreaks of plague continued to affect communities all over the country. In October 1645 there were many deaths from the plague in the parish of Halifax, probably due to the dirty, overcrowded and badly-drained conditions. During the early years of the English Civil War, 1642-45, regular movement of soldiers and goods from place to place enabled outbreaks to spread more readily. About 500 people died in Halifax out of a population of 6000 – around 8% of the population.

The Sowerby constable of the time records that precautions were taken to prevent the spread of the plague in the town. A chain was stretched across the road at Sowerby Bridge and two sentry houses were built to guard against the spread of infection. This kept Sowerby free of the disease. This was just a few years before Henry Hileley served his term as Constable (see blogpost of 7th November 2019).

The Great Plague struck the country in 1665. Probably because of its scattered rural communities Halifax district did not suffer quite so badly during this time as did the rest of Britain.

Sources:
Plague in West Yorkshire. Kirklees Cousins – West Yorkshire Family History
Malcolm Bull’s Calderdale Companion
The Story of Old Halifax by T W Hanson
Parish registers of Halifax. Marriages and Burials 1538-1593. Transcribed and edited by E W Crossley